Saturday, April 23, 2011
Societal Apathy
So over this break instead of doing productive activities, like catching up on homework or research for this Amcon project, I've been wandering the tunnels of the internet. While meandering around I remembered one of the TED talks I listened to a while ago, and thought "Well, if I'm going to waste my time I might as well waste it educationally." Starting from the most recent video, I started watching them. In this particular lecture, Dave Meslin discussed apathy. He said that maybe it isn't a personal choice, but instead the constructs of our society provide no reward or draw for participation. Listening to this, I could help but think about social capital, and maybe the decline isn't personal choice but the way our avenues of communication have. If you have time, listen to this. And all of the talks. That's what I'll be doing the rest of this break.
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Enich, I wonder if apathy is a response to over-stimulation? If there is too much to do, too many opportunities, to select between because it is impossible to grasp all of them, do we then retreat into apathy? Or is it a response to failure of hope? LDL
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that there is over=stimulation in our society. Even on our campus, there is so much to do that one feels disconnected even when involved with a million groups.
ReplyDeleteI think Meslin is arguing something different though. He's suggesting that the way in which potential opportunities to get involved with our communities are presented poorly. Contact information for campaigns isn't presented well and in public displays only those who have enough money can display their message. Also, when the media glorifies change it is through a person who has been "chosen" (Harry Potter, for example). This imagery discourages normal people from being the change they wish to see. Overall he's asking for a change in the definition of apathy from thinking our neighbors are "selfish, stupid or lazy" to "a complex web of culture barriers that reinforces disengagement." Then we can begin to address the barriers, and make the changes we need to see change happen.